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Mario Raceway - Tips

General tips for Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64.

Mario Kart Tips

Physics of the go-kart

Speed

To reach maximum speed, you need to know a couple of key points. First of all, sliding and power sliding makes turning sharp easier, but at higher speeds sliding also slows you down. Try not to slide too much, and if possible, don't slide at all.

More on the physics of go-karts later...

Mario Kart 64 Tips

Team up in VS mode

Often times in 3 or 4 player VS mode, the leader will end up so far ahead that he/she could literally take a short nap at the side of the road and still win the race. Often, this is because the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place drivers end up attacking each other with shells and other weapons and succeed in preventing anyone to get close enough to challenge 1st place.

If it begins to look like the 1st place karter is getting away easy, try teaming up with the other players instead of being greedy and trying to get into 2nd place for about 3 seconds, only to be hit by a red shell and be knocked back to 4th. If you all save your artillery for the 1st place karter, that karter will be in serious trouble.

Being in 1st place in VS mode

If you don't have a very big lead, 1st place is NOT where you want to be. The higher ranked karts usually get the worst items out of the item blocks, and the lower ranked karts usually get really good items. If you're in 1st place and don't have a big lead, try one of the following:

  1. Drop back a few ranks if the race is a close one.
  2. If you get a Star, wait until near the end of the race or until you are hit to use it.
  3. If you get a Ghost, wait until an opponent gets either:
  4. If you have a Spiky Shell, immediately place it behind you to use as a shield against Red/Green shell attacks. The Spiky Shell can withstand an infinite number of shell hits.
  5. If you have the Thunder Bolt, try not to use it unless someone is challenging for first place on the last lap, or if someone is trying to use a shortcut or a long jump.

    I have found that generally the best item to have while in 1st place is the Ghost. It guarantees that no one tries to attack you with the Thunder Bolt or a Spiky Shell, plus you are invincible while in Ghost form.

    © Michael Ellis 1997
    All rights reserved.

    Created on: 3/1/97 @ 1120 hrs. PST

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